German federal prosecutors have charged an American former Defense Department contractor with attempting to sell sensitive U.S. military information to China. The individual, identified only as Martin D. due to German privacy laws, worked at a U.S. military base in Germany since 2020. Prosecutors allege that he repeatedly contacted Chinese officials last summer to offer classified information for forwarding to a Chinese intelligence service, according to The New York Times.
Martin D. was a contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense from 2017 until spring 2023. He was arrested in November 2024 at Frankfurt airport and has been in pretrial detention since then. The charges were filed with the State Security Senate of the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz, as reported by Politico.
The case is part of a broader concern in Germany over potential Chinese espionage activities. In recent years, there have been multiple investigations into Chinese spies operating in the country. These include the arrest of a Chinese man suspected of gathering information on Chinese dissident groups and a Chinese woman accused of feeding sensitive logistics information to the Chinese government.
The German Press Agency suggested that Martin D. may have been motivated by dissatisfaction with his former employer. The charges against him highlight ongoing tensions and security concerns related to espionage activities in Europe.
Recent Comments